Valid Reasoning
by LizardBot
Summary: No, that wasn’t the first time he’d considered that they were a possibility. And after that, it didn’t have to be a consideration, because it just was.
1. Chapter 1

**Uno**

-

He didn't understand why it kept happening. They were just little flashes—

She was twirling in the rain.

She was trying on silly hats.

She was grinning at him in a way she never had when she was there.

She was crying.

She was kissing him.

She was lying in the street, in a puddle of her own blood (surprisingly this image didn't bring him as nearly as much joy as he figured it would).

None of it made sense. These moments hadn't occurred during their time in Hueco Mundo, so why was he seeing these things?

-

**A/N:** Okay, well, this is sort of a 'what if' for Noitra and Neliel. What if they knew each other when they were human? It's just for fun. There will be seven more chapters after this, most of them are pretty short, so don't get your hopes up or anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Dos_**

-

She was twirling in the rain.

Head tilted up, as the drops spattered against her sun kissed cheeks, and she absently flicked out her tongue to lick up one that had strayed to her lips.

A smile twist her lips at the corners, and she inhaled sharply, enjoying the smell of the rain.

Before she knew it, she was spinning, around and around, her arms extended at her side, until she was so dizzy she was sure she'd fall. And she did, laughing all the while, as she grasped as grass for stability, though it did her no good.

When her laughter had finally settled down, she leaned back, enjoying the feel of the grass between her fingers and toes, even if her soaked sundress did feel a bit uncomfortable.

She realized how hard the drops were coming down, but didn't bother to retreat inside like everyone else had moments before.

She just smiled into the rain, and closed her eyes. She loved the rain, and every little bit that came with it—the sound of it against a tin roof, the thunder that shook the air, the shade storm clouds provided from the sun.

She even enjoyed the wind, in all its destructive glory. What she enjoyed most was the calm that came with it. During a storm, everyone else would go inside, and the city was at its quietest then.

"Oy!"

Or, at least she'd thought…

She craned her neck to look at the person who'd called to her, and quirked a curious eyebrow at the sight of the lanky man.

"Yes?" she asked, a smile coming to her face.

He merely blinked at her, his mouth set in a firm line, and he finally said, "You'll get sick if you sit out there all night."

And that was how they'd met.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tres**

-

She was trying on silly hats.

He stared blankly down at the newspaper, not really all that interested in what the article was about. Sometimes she would question why he read the paper if he didn't care for the contents, but he never actually gave a proper answer, because he wasn't all that sure himself.

"Nnoitra! Look! What do you think about this one?"

He glanced up at her, adjusting his glasses so that he could see her properly, and then made a face when he got a good look. "You look absolutely ridiculous." he said flatly, and she seemed to pout at the jab.

"I think it's lovely." She turned back to the mirror, pinching the feather rimmed hat between her thumb and forefinger, as she stared at her reflection. "I think I'll get it." She pulled it off, and tossed it into the pile with the others.

He scowled, but agreed with her on some part. The hat was lovely—so long as she was the one wearing it.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Cuatro_**

-

She was grinning at him in a way that she never had when she was there.

When he woke, she was giving him this strange look…

"Knock it off."

"I'm not _doing_ anything."

…

"I said stop."

"And I said that I'm not _doing_ anything."

…

He wiggled around in his seat until he was facing her fully so he could properly glare at her. "If you don't stop, I'm going to kill you." he said in a way that only he could manage.

Nel was not affected. She just sat there, _grinning_ at him.

"You look deranged." he informed, an irate sneer forming on his pale face.

She still didn't stop, and he finally let out a heavy sigh. "_What_?"

She giggled and shook her head, the grin fine slipping off her face, as she turned back to the TV. A ghost of a smile passed over her lips, but that was the last he saw of that grin.

Until…

"NELIEL!!"

He stared at his reflection in horror, and viciously scrubbed at his face until his upper lip was red. Despite all his effort, it wouldn't come off.

Stomping into the living room, he found her sitting in his chair, with that godforsaken grin on her face.

"This—this is _beyond_ childish!" he roared angrily.

She snorted with laughter, covering her mouth to muffle her giggles. She managed to get out, "What? Don't you like your mustache?"

A permanent marker was clutched in her free hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Cinco**

-

She was crying

He didn't understand what he'd done, and she wouldn't tell him. Supposedly it was nothing, supposedly he was in the clear, and it had nothing to do with him. But, if that was true, why was she avoiding him? Why hadn't she shown up for movie night? Or accepted his invitation to the bowling alley?

It was all so confusing, and frustrating, and he was infuriated. With her, with himself for not figuring it out (he was brilliant! How could he not know?), but mostly with her.

So he decided to confront her. He'd shown up at her apartment, and it was raining. But, for once, he didn't find her spinning around in the middle of the street (a little part of him was glad, because he was sure that one day she'd be hit by a car or something like that.

But another part worried, because that meant something was definitely up, and what if he couldn't fix it?) or sitting on the little patch of grass outside.

So he dared to venture into the building, and climbed the three flights of stairs, went to the fifth door down the hall. He knocked, once, twice, three times. "Damnit, Nel! Open the damned door!'

It creaked open, and Nel stood, rubbing her tired eyes, as she gazed at him dully. "Nnoitra? What're you doing here?" she mumbled groggily.

He frowned at her, a deep, irritated frown, that she'd never seen on him before.

"Yanno what, Neliel?!" he said, huffing and puffing, and glaring daggers at the woman in front of him. "Sometimes I just can't fuckin' stand you!"

She blinked up at him, utterly confused by his attitude. She'd never seen him so angry. Well, there was that whole mustache thing…But that was months ago!!

He quickly threw in, "Why are you avoiding me?!"

She sighed, opened her mouth to respond – "I haven't been avoiding you." she would say – but he had started on a rant, and he was stepping towards her, so that she was forced to back up.

The wall at her back stopped any further movement on her part, and he got up close, so that he was in her face, and still yelling at what seemed to be the top of his lungs.

And before she could stop herself, she was crying. She wasn't sure what had brought it on. His anger? Or maybe it was just everything that had led up to her misery that day.

Losing her job, the possibility that she might lose her apartment as well, not to mention that her cat was missing...

(it was funny, because if she ever remembered any of this when she became an Espada, she would surely think it trivial)

Whatever the cause, it had finally taken its toll, and the next thing she knew, she was leaning into his chest, and he was as stiff as a board. She suspected he might have even stopped breathing for a moment.

He didn't try to offer any sort of comfort. Didn't wrap his arms around her, didn't pat her head or back, didn't even mutter a soothing word. He just stood there, and let her cry. And right then, it was comfort enough.

And she pulled away, sniffling, and hastily drying her tears – because he's not supposed to see her like this, this isn't who she is. She's strong, and bold, and she doesn't just break down.

He stared down at her, gaze questioning, and curious, but not sympathetic – never sympathetic (she's convinced he can't feel sympathy, and she's grateful for it)

She asks him to take her out, and he does. He takes her to the movies, and they see some crappy comedy, and everything just seems to go back to normal (or as normal possible, considering it's them)

Nnoitra never found out why she cried, or why she'd "avoided" him, but he never brought it up for fear of having her break down on him again.

Admittedly, he'd made plenty of girls cry in his lifetime, but he never wanted her to be one of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Seis_**

-

She was kissing him

It wasn't the first time that he'd considered that _they_ were a possibility.

He'd thought about it sometimes, mostly as an afterthought when she did something that caught his attention without her even having to try.

He figured maybe she was trying a little this time. You can't not put thought into something like that. It's not really spur of the moment, right?

He honestly wasn't sure, because, though the thought had crossed his mind, he'd never taken the initiative to make it _more_ than just a thought. He'd never been one to just do random things like that. Most things he did were well thought out, and he always had a valid reason for doing them.

There was a second—No, not even that. More of a _milli_second, when he considered wondering if she had an explaination for what she was doing, but then all thought, the grasp he'd _assumed_ he had on the world, and everything around him, had suddenly flitted out of existence, becoming nothing more than a silent whisper in the wind.

Because the way her lips worked against his made all coherent thought impossible.

No, that wasn't the first time he'd considered that _they_ were a possibility. And after that, it didn't _have_ to be a consideration, because it just _was._

And it would be an outright lie if he'd said he didn't love every second of it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Siete**

-

She was lying in the street, in a puddle of her own blood

It was almost like waking up from a nap, except when he usually woke up from his naps, his eye didn't hurt the way it did then.

He was grasping that stupid newspaper, and his reading glasses were on the other side of the road, mangled and smashed, but none of that mattered. It didn't even register.

The only thing he noticed at that point was her, lying – barely three yards away – on the pavement, small hands pressed painfully against the wound in her side. She was smiling at him, though. Even through her pain, she was still smiling, and he hated her a little for it.

Couldn't she just take a situation seriously for once? Didn't she realize the trouble they were in?!

He stood up with surprising ease. The only thing that really hurt was his left eye, but the pain wasn't so extensive that it limited his ability to function.

She was still smiling when he knelt down beside her. She said, "Hey," so casually that it baffled Nnoitra. It was like they were greeting each other, or talking about weather. She spoke as if she wasn't dying, as if he wasn't watching her die.

He wanted to scold her, but he didn't.

Moving her carefully, he gently cradled her against his chest, his good eye never leaving hers. "It's going to be okay." he whispered, knowing for a fact that it wasn't. Even if they made it out of this alive (they wouldn't) she'd still lost a lot of blood.

Looking at her now, seeing that she was the one covered in it, he'd never been more disgusted by the sight of blood.

She nodded at him with some effort, not dropping her smile, even as a roar shook the earth beneath them.

Nnoitra didn't seem too bothered by it himself, he just stared down at her sadly, and held her a little closer.

The quaking increased, and it wasn't long before the giant masked creature came into view, immediately zeroing in on them, as it laughed a terrible laugh.

Neliel ignored the approaching giant, and placed a shaky hand on Nnoitra's pale cheek, smearing it with her blood.

"I love you." she whispered, her eyes finally glazing over with tears, as she stared up at him.

He'd never said it back to her, didn't even say it now, when they were about to die.

She tugged him down, and he immediately sensed what she wanted, and complied, pressed his lips to hers, as the Hollow bared its claws down on them.

_Love you, too._


	8. Chapter 8

**_Ocho_**

-

She sat up with a start, and blinked several times, taking in her surroundings—

The white sand dunes, the strange trees, and her brothers a few feet off, playing with BawaBawa. The giant sandworm seemed particularly pleased with the attention he was receiving, and Nel saw no point in interrupting them.

She laid back down, curling into the cloak Dondo Chakka had given her to use as a make-shift blanket, and closing her eyes.

Just before she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but think, _What a strange dream…_

Dondo Chakka had stopped his playing, glanced back at their once great leader. He turned to look at his companion, who was conveying a silent messege.

_Don't worry,_ he said, _we're going to make this better_.

-

**A/N:** Okay, so I suppose I should explain a few things. To start with, their attitudes;  
I know they seemed rather OOC through out this story, but it was intended. If you remember correctly, Neliel is always saying how childish Nnoitra is. In turn, I thought it'd be funny if she was the one to act childish. And, I know, Nnoitra isn't as nearly as sadistic as he is in the Manga, but I couldn't exactly have him killing people off as a human. I think that might've put a slight damper on his relationship with Nel. Just sayin'.  
And, again, his atittude is the opposite of what it was in the Manga, 'cause I thought it'd be interesting.

As for the wound he received at the end (in his eye) I'm not sayin' that's the reason his hole was through his eye when he became an arrancar. It was just meant to be foreshadowing, is all.

Well, that's that. Hope you enjoyed reading!

P.S. Is it just me, or do all my stories seem to end in tragedy?


End file.
